Rotary casting-machine.



G MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETSn SHEET l.

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H. A. W. WOOD. ROTARY CASTING MACHINE, PPLIGATION FILED DEC.18,1911vLmgyl 5., Patented Feb. 23, w15.

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ROTARY CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.18. 1911.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

4 SHEBTS- SHEET 3.

H. A. W. WOOD.

ROTARY CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DB0.18,'1911.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

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HENRY 'WISE WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC FURNACECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

i ROTARY CASTING-MACHINE Specicationcf Letters Patent.

Patenten renee, raie.

Application led December 1S, 1911. i Serial No. 666,525.

casting soft metal ingots in large quantities.

The principal objects of the invention'are to provide a .practicable andeicient machine whereby. such ingots can be cast rapidly in a continuousmanner ;I to provide a construction in which the supply of metal to themolds will be proportionate to the' rate of delivery of the lngots fromthe molds; .to provide a construction in which an endless series ofmolds can be moved by a motor or other convenient source of power andthe metal supply operated bythe same source of power at the sametime;vand to provide means ywhereby the molds can be operatedyindependently of the power without necessitating the attention of anattendant to the disconnection of any of the parts. Another importantobject of the invention is to provide an improved cooling system for themolds which by a continuous current of water will cool the innersurfaces of the molds both while they are filled and while they areempty, and will also cool the outer surfaces of the molds which at thetime are filled with metal.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved form of rotarymold wheel in the circumference of which the molds are located, and animproved metal pump.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had tothe accompany ing drawings, in'whichj Figure 1is an endelevationof a rotary casting apparatusvconstructed inaccordance with this invention Fig. 2 `is a side view of the sameshowing the metal sup ly device in central longitudinal section;v ig. 3is a sectional view vertically through the center of the casting wheelshowing 'certain parts in elevation; Fig. 4 is a central sectional viewof the power transmitting` disk shown in Fig. 3; Fig. -5 is afragmentary elevation of the same; Fig. 6 is a central sectional view ofa worm wheel for operating the said disk; Fig. 7 is a fragmentar ysectional view of the cylinder casing; Fig. is a fragmen hereinafter.

. tary central sectional view of the mold wheel; Fig. 8 is a'pla'n ofthe pump; Fig. 9 1s a horizontal sectional view of the pump on the llne9-9 of- Fig. 10; Fig. 10 is a sec- -tional, view on the line 10-10 ofFig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan of a detail; and Fig. 12 an elevation thereof with anadjacent part in Section.

The invention is shown in a form comprising a main frame 10 supported onabase 11. The `frame is `provided -with a cylindrical casing 12'extending therefrom on one side and provided at the end with a plate 13which T will call a cylinder cover. The casing is in the form of acircle cut away on an inclined chord for a reason that will appear frameand'casing respectively are trunnions 14 of a rotary mold wheel 15. Forthe purpose of driving this mold wheel a motor 16 is shown having adriving shaft 17 provided with a worm 18 driving a worm wheel 19. Thisworm wheel is loose on a shaft'20 which isjournaled on the frame and aprojection of the plate 13. Fixed on this shaft 20 is a driving disk 21having a depression 22 yin the face thereof adjacent the worm wheel.Thisdepression is beveled and has a square shoulder at one end. The wormwheel is provided with a spring-pressed plunger 23 adapted to enter saiddepression and to bring up against said shoulder when the worm wheel isrotated. This forms a positive connection between the worm wheel anddisk so that the shaft 20 will lbe driven positively by the motor. Butit will be 0bserved that if the shaft 20 isvrotated in the samedirection, as for instance, by means vof a removable hand crank 24, theshaft will be rotated without interfering with the worm Wheel becausethe plunger 23 will ratchet over ther depression 22. A pinion 25 on Atheshaft 20'constantly meshes with a large gear 26. This gear 26 is fixedon the end of one of the trunnions 14 so that the mold wheel will beoperated positively either by the motor or by the crank handle.

The mold wheel -is provided on its cir f cumference with an endlessseries of cavi- The mainL ties 260 ponstituting `molds. l frame 10`isprovi/ded with a member 27 removably secured thereto'and having anintegral funnel 28 j projecting upwardly therefrom at the'top of, theframe. It will be understood, of course, that this mold J ournaled inbearings onthis wheel fits within the interior cylindrical casing andasit passes the funnel, metal therein will flow into the molds. Y. Thewheel is intended to be rotated in the directionof the arrow in Fig. 1with sutlicient rapidity to allow the :metal t'o congeal'in the moldsand form ingots or pigs. When each mold comes around to the bottom eachingot, then being bottom side up and not supported at its outerl side,will drop down into a delivery chute 29. The reason for making thecasing12 constitute only a little more thanhalf a circle will be .obviousnowas the cutaway portion exposes the mold wheel and leaves an openspace through which the ingots are discharged.

In order to cool the .metal efl`ectively so that the moldiwheelcani beoperated with sullicient rapidity for practical purposes,

cooling water is introduced through a pipe 30 which extends through4afstuling box 31 into an axial passage 32 in one of. the trl1nv nions'of the mold wheel. The mold Wheel is hollow and is provided with apartitiony 33 centrally located and transverse to its axis. Thispartition isimperforate at the center but is provided with a series 'ofperforations 34y near its edge, adjacent tothe inner walls of themolds260. Therefore the water entering on one side of this partitionwill pass to the other side through these perforations and. comeintodirect contact with the heatedinner Walls of the molds. It willtheii-pass through the other trunnion .and

through a; 4discharge pipe 35. It is then directed preferably into yaspace 36l in vthe casing 12 whichconstitutes the outer wallof the. moldsas they to the discharge point. The water is dischargedthrough a pipe.38 or the like. It will be seen that in this way the interior wallsofthemolds are cooled constantly by fresh cool water whether they. containmetal or not. The outer walls of the lmolds that contain the-metal arecooled by the water in thepassage 36 and the remaining molds after theyhave been emptied are cooled on the outside only by passing through theair. In this way atherough cooling ofthe molds is secured? andthe metalis hardened therein in a minimum of time so that the wheel can beoperated with a practical degree of rapidity.v i

On the shaft 20- is located a pulley 40 which by means of belt or ropedrive 41 drives a pulley 42 o'n a shaft 43. This shaft is located in apump in a molten metal pot 44 which pump is mounted by means ofanadjustable plate 45 on a bracket 46. This bracket is verticallyadjustable by means of bolts 47 and slots on the frame 10. On the lowerend .of the shaft 43 is iixed a bottom plate holder 440 having .in thelower endy thereof a diametrical slot 450 in which is a slidable'bottomplate 460. These parts are pass from the receiving carried in acylindrical chamber 4 70 in the bottom ofthe.-pump.. Theshaft 43 entersthis cylinderl atf a-=p0int at one side of its center. Therefore as thebottom plate holder revolves, the' bottom plate is made to slide withrespect to it in the chamber. This causes the `metal to flow from thebody of the melting ,potthrough an opening 48 into the chamber 470 andout through an opening 49 into a chamber 50. From here it passes into a.pipe 51 which carries the molten metal intothe top of the funnel 28. Theshaft 43A is shown `as provided with a mixer 52 above the chamber 470.

. The chamber 50 is provided withy a relief valve 54 inthe top thereofmounted on a shaft 55, the upper end of .which passes through a hole inthe plate 45. Fixed to the shaft 55 is a collar 56 underneath the plate45 havinga camsurface 57 which'engages the.end of a screw 58 on theplate 45. The collar'56 has a handle 59 by which it can be turned toforce the valve 54 down by means of the cam surface 57 on the collar. Byleaving this valve open, the pump can be run wlthout .forcing metalthrough the pipe 51. In this case the metal simply circulates iroimdinto the melting pot.

With the machine running and the relief` valve closed, the metal willrun constantly in proportion to the rapidity of rotation of the shaft 20from the mouth of the pipe 51 into the funnel. Thus it lills the moldsas they pass under the funnel. As the ingots are cooled on both sidesthey are discharged from the machine and then the molds continue to beCooled'by the Water inside until they complete the cycle. When thecasting operation. is to be completed, the relief valve may be openedallowing the machine to continue its rotation without receiving any moremetal so that all the ingots can be delivered.

of accomplishing the same re- Anotherway sult is to stop the motor. Themoldwheel by the handle 24 can then be turned around to ,empty themolds.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art Without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in theV claims. Therefore,.I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction herein shown and describedbut vv hat do claim is l 1. In a rotary casting machine, the combinationwith a driving shaft, of a wheel rotatable. thereby having a :series ofmolds around its circumference, a pump operated by said shaft fornormally supplying metal to thev molds when the shaft rotates, and meansfor rendering thepump inoperative while the shaft continues to operate.

2; In a casting machine, the combination manana i m with a drivingshaft, of a series of molds operated thereby, means operatedI by saidshaft forl constantly su plying metal to the'molds when the, shaflt)rotates, a crank handle, and means connected with the crank handle formoving the molds by hand independently of said shaft. I

3. In a casting machine, the combination ofl a driving shaft, a wheelhaving a series of molds in the edge thereof, means comprising a secondshaft adaptedV to bero tating the molds.

5. In a casting machine, the combination of a driving shaft, a wheelconstantlyconnected therewith to be driven thereby, a second shaft onwhich said wheel is loosely mounted, a disk fixed onthe second shaft, aratchet device for transmittinga'motion of rotation from said wheel tothe disk,'a series of molds, means connected with said second shaft forrotating the molds, and manually operated means for rotating said diskand molds independently of the wheel.

6. In a casting machine, the combination of a driving shaft, a wheelconnected therewith to be operatedthereby, a second shaft on which saidwheel is rotatably mounted, a disk fixed on the second shaft, means fortransmitting a motion of rotation from said wheel to the disk in onedirection vand .not

in the other, and a series of molds connected with said second shaftv'to be rotated thereby, wherebythe independent rotation of the secondshaft in the same direction will rotate the. molds without moving saidwheel.

7. In a casting machine, the combination of a driving shaft,'a Wheeldriven thereb a-second shaft on which the wheel is lo y mounted, a'diskfixed on said second shaft and p'rovided with a series of inclinednotches in the face thereof, a springressed plunger carried by the wheelin position to enter said notches -as the wheel rotates and cause thedisk to`rotate with thel wheel, a series of rotatable molds, and meansoperated bythe second shaft for rotating said molds about a center.

8. In a castin machine, the combination with a frame, 0% a driving shaftjournaled thereon, a second shaft,a disk fixed on the secondshaft, aWheel constantly connected with the drivin shaft, means for transmittinga motion f rotation from said wheel to the disk, a series of molds,means connected with the second shaft for rotating the molds, and meansfor-rotating said disk and molds independently of the wheel.

' 9. In a casting machine, the combination of ahollow rotary mold diskhaving integral mold cavities at its circumference and provided with apartition transverse to its axis of rotation having a row ofperforations closely adjacent to the cavities, means for introducingcooling iuid on one side of the partition and discharging it on theother, and means for leading the cooling v v,fiuid in a path adjacent tothe exterior of said mold cavities. 4

10. In a casting'machine, the combination Y of a hollow rotaryv molddisk, an` exterior witnesses.

cooling device for said disk, and means for connecting the exteriorcooling device with the interior ofthe disk.

11. In a vcasting machine, the combination with an Yendless series ofmovable molds adapted to receive metal at one point and dischargecastings at anotherZ of means for cooling all the molds on one side, andmeansA for cooling on the other side those molds moving from thereceiving point to the discharging point.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set` my hand, in the presence oftwo subscribing y ',HENRY-Ag. yWISE WUOD. Witnesses:

lBnonwnN W. Jonas,

Immun C. JoNns.

